Press release
Carer’s Support Grant to be paid this week – Minister Doherty
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., has said that over 110,000 carers will receive the Carer’s Support Grant today, Thursday, 7th June. The annual grant of €1,700 is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions.
The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for to take account of the additional cost of providing care to more than one person and to recognise the particular challenges faced by these carers. Some 6,000 carers who are providing care for two or more people will therefore receive a grant in respect of each person they are caring for.
The Carer’s Support Grant is paid automatically to carers who are receiving Carer’s Allowance (whether full rate or half rate), Carer’s Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other full-time carers who are not receiving any of these payments may also apply for the Carer’s Support Grant. Application forms along with full details on the grant are available at all of the Department’s Intreo Centres and here.
The estimated expenditure on the Carer’s Support Grant this year is in excess of €207 million for an estimated total of over 122,000 grants.
Minister Doherty said: “I am very pleased to have been able to allocate over €207 million for the Carer’s Support Grant this year which will benefit over 116,000 carers. It will be paid automatically to around 110,000 people receiving the Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, and Domiciliary Care Allowance schemes. It is also available to an estimated 6,000 full-time carers who are not in receipt of these payments. I urge these carers to apply for this grant. It is not means-tested and is assessed on the level of care being provided by the carer.”
The Minister added that in recent years the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has also been providing funding, as part of the Dormant Accounts Action Plans, to support training for carers. The 2016 Action Plan provided for €500,000 to support carers while caring and after their caring role is completed, while the 2017 Action Plan provided €1 million for training and supports for carers. The Department is currently in discussion with Pobal and the Department of Rural and Community Affairs, who now have responsibility for Dormant Accounts, with a view to finalising the implementation of this measure.
The Minister continued: “Under the Dormant Accounts Disbursement Plans, 2013-2016 and 2017-2020 and their associated Action Plans, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection allocated funding of €1.5 million towards measures designed to support carers under the 2016 and 2017 Dormant Accounts Action Plans. The 2016 measure commenced in late 2017 and provided funding of over €500,000 including €338,000 to Family Carers Ireland, towards providing supports to carers following the end of their formal full-time caring role.”
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s expenditure on Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant (formerly Respite Care Grant) has increased from €991,809 million in 2016 to €1,110,664 million in 2017. The estimated expenditure on these schemes for 2018 is in excess of €1,185,890 million.
ENDS